Ravens beat themselves, lose to Steelers 28-24: Instant analysis

By Matthew Stevens | November 1, 2020 5:00 pm

The Baltmore Ravens fall to 5-2 after coughing up their Week 8 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens entered this week with a golden opportunity to prove themselves among the elite in the NFL with a win over the only undefeated team remaining. But penalties and turnovers once again let Baltimore down and bring up more questions about how good the Ravens really are in 2020.

Baltimore had opportunities to put the game away several times against the Steelers. Had quarterback Lamar Jackson just been more cautious with the football, there’s little question the Ravens pick up a sixth win and announce themselves as arguably the top team in the NFL. But his play and some questionable playcalling at the end of the game see Baltimore once again licking their wounds.

Take a look back through the game with our instant analysis of each scoring drive to see what went down off the scoreboard.

1st quarter:

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Ravens 0 – Steelers 7

Drive analysis: In the cold and the wet, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson got started off on the wrong foot. Jackson tried to fit a pass to rookie wide receiver James Proche but Steelers linebacker Robert Spillane picked it off and ran it back for a touchdown.

Ravens 7 – Steelers 7

Drive analysis: Jackson came back strong for the second drive of the game, hitting Miles Boykin for a 14-yard completion. A late-hit penalty on the Steelers kept the drive alive before Jackson found Willie Snead for a 34-yard catch-and-run to get into the red zone. Boykin got a little distance between the defender in the corner of the end zone, where a big pass from Jackson turned it into a touchdown

2nd quarter:

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Ravens 14 – Steelers 7

Drive analysis: With both Ronnie Stanley out and Tyre Phillips questionable to return with injuries, Baltimore turned to the ground game. Edwards busted through for 25 yards and another run for six. Dobbins picked up 12 and three yards before Lamar Jackson picked up 14 off the left end to get into the red zone. With Pittsburgh now overloading the center of the field to stop the run, Jackson found tight end Mark Andrews for 11 yards to pick up a first down before getting the ball down to the goal line on a dive. Edwards got the call for the touchdown run up the middle.

Ravens 17 – Steelers 7

Drive analysis: The Ravens went on a leisurely drive to close out the first half, before turning to kicker Justin Tucker to extend the lead with a 51-yard field goal. Baltimore relied on the ground game yet again, using Dobbins, Edwards, and Jackson to grind down the clock. With time ticking down, Jackson found Snead for completions of six and 10 yards to keep the drive alive and get into field-goal range.

3rd quarter:

AP Photo/Nick Wass

Ravens 17 – Steelers 14

Drive analysis: Jackson’s first throw of the second half was more to the defender than his own intended target. Pittsburgh returns the ball to Baltimore’s 21-yard line before Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hit a wide-open Eric Ebron for the walk-in touchdown on a blown coverage.

Ravens 17 – Steelers 21

Drive analysis: With a quick-tempo, Roethlisberger was able to march down the field. The Ravens weren’t able to get consistent pressure, allowing Roethlisberger to pick apart the defense in the middle of the field. The Steelers picked up gains of 15, 14, 14, 13, 9, 8, and 7 yards through the air before running back James Conner got the call on a one-yard touchdown run.

4th quarter:

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Ravens 24 – Steelers 21

Drive analysis: Just when things look to be going against Baltimore in every way, Jackson lights up. He hit rookie Devin Duvernay for 39 yards to get into the red zone. A 20-yard touchdown run by Jackson was nullified by a Matt Skura penalty but a 24-yard completion to Snead got not only the first down but near the goal line. Marquise Brown got the six-yard touchdown completion with Jackson rolling out to his right.

Ravens 24 – Steelers 28

Drive analysis: Pittsburgh got plenty of help from the officials on this drive, calling two penalties for 35 total yards against Baltimore. Roethlisberger targeted JuJu Smith-Schuster on quick throws, picking up small gains but keeping the drive going. Rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool caught an eight-yard pass in the end zone for the touchdown and the reclaimed lead.